Transition
by phantomfan1911
Summary: Set after 3.22. Elena Gilbert awakens after drowning in the river. Will she complete the transition?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first foray into the world of Vampire Diaries fan fic. I've been watching the show since the beginning, but tonight's finale inspired me and made me want to write my own continuation to the ending. Thanks for reading!**

It was quiet.

Stefan stood above her body, his eyes filled with tears. He didn't say a word, but inwardly, he cursed. If only things were different. If only he had gotten there sooner, if Damon had been with him, if none of this had happened in the first place. Maybe she would still be alive.

He heard Damon's voice nearby. It wouldn't be long before he burst into the room, demanding to see Elena. Stefan heard another voice, one quieter, softer; Meredith. She was telling Damon what he already knew. Yes, Elena was dead. But there was something else. Something that only a few select people knew.

Earlier, when Jeremy had brought Elena to the hospital, Meredith had gone to great lengths to save the young woman, to heal the damage that had been done at the hand of Klaus. At the time she was healing Elena, but now…now it was something entirely different.

Suddenly, life returned to Elena. She awoke, gasping, her eyes wide. Stefan immediately took her into his arms and held her close to him, thankful that she had been given a second chance.

Elena looked up at him, her eyes wild with confusion. "Stefan? What…what happened?"

There was no sugar coating things. Stefan had to be honest with her. "You…you died. Rebekah…she found out that Klaus was dead and decided that you had to die. I found you underwater, trapped in Matt's truck. I wanted to save you, but you told me to save him first."

The memories started flooding back to her. She remembered everything. The bridge. Talking to Damon. Rebekah standing in the road. The truck… Her eyes closed tightly at the image of Matt's truck falling over the bridge. It was too painful for her right now.

"I remember everything," she whispered.

"There's more."

She held up a hand to quiet him and leaned away from him as if she was listening for something. "I can hear footsteps…voices…machines. It's like it's all in the room here with us."

The door flew open before Stefan could respond. Damon burst into the room, his eyes immediately falling to Elena's. "How are you feeling?"

"Damon, she doesn't know."

"You haven't told her?"

Elena looked back and forth between the brothers, trying to figure out what was going on. Stefan had told her that she had died, but if that was the truth, then how could she be here right now? How was she alive, breathing, talking? The relation hit her suddenly. "Am I…?" She couldn't finish her own thought.

Stefan nodded.

"But how?"

"Long story short, Meredith gave you vampire blood, you died, and now you're in transition," Damon supplied. "You'll need to feed soon."

"I…I don't know if I can do that."

"Don't know if you can…Elena come on! I came so close to losing you! I'm not going to do it again!"

"Damon!"

"Don't 'Damon' me little brother. You love her just as much as I do."

"Stop it, both of you!" Her voice rose above them both. "It's my decision whether I complete the transition." She stood, shakily at first, and tried to get her bearings. So much was happening all at once, she didn't know how to process it all. "Just give me a minute. I need to think."

"What's there to think about? You've got two options. Feed and complete the transition or die again and never come back. It's as simple as that Elena," Damon said, frustration laced in his voice.

"No, it's not Damon. There's a lot of things that need to be considered."

"There's no time Elena," Stefan said quietly. "You've only got a few hours, and I can't watch you die again."

She sighed heavily, her mind racing. There was so much that she had to consider, but she didn't have a moment to spare. "Where's Jeremy?"

"He's at home. We haven't told him yet," Stefan replied.

Her mind raced. She was all that Jeremy had left. If she had died once already then Alaric was certainly dead, leaving her brother alone. She couldn't do that to him. "I can't leave him alone. I won't do it. I have to complete the transition. I have to become a vampire."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who submitted reviews, or put my story on their alert list. I really appreciate it. Here is Chapter Two. Hope you all enjoy!**

_From Chapter One:_

_"I can't leave him alone. I won't do it. I have to complete the transition. I have to become a vampire."_

* * *

Elena looked between the two brothers who held her heart. She could tell the wheels were turning in their head, processing the decision that she had just made. The way she saw it, she didn't have much of a choice. She couldn't leave Jeremy alone, not after everyone else had left him. She was all he had left.

"Well now," Damon said, "If you're going to complete the transition, then you need to feed, and what better place than a hospital. There's just willing participants everywhere."

"Damon!" Stefan protested.

"No, he's right. I need to feed, but I won't do it on someone who's living. Can't someone just bring me a blood bag or something?"

"One step ahead of you." Meredith spoke up from the doorway. She took a few steps into the room, the light coming over her features. "I figured that you were going to need this." She tossed a blood bag to Elena who caught it effortlessly.

"How did you know…?"

"Call it a hunch."

"Thank you."

Meredith nodded in reply and then turned to Damon and Stefan. "I'll keep people out of this room for as long as possible, but I suggest that the three of you get out of here and get somewhere safe."

"She's right. With the council hunting down Caroline and Tyler, it would be better if we went back home. At least there, it will be quiet and better for Elena," Stefan said. "She'll need time to adjust to everything."

"Then let's go," Damon replied. "Come on Elena, you can drink that at home."

"But I can't…" her voice trailed off as she realized that she wasn't going to her home with Jeremy, but to the Salvatore home. Elena sighed. "Okay. Let's go."

"Wait."

"Oh what now?" Damon asked, clearly irritated.

"We will be able to get home relatively undetected, but Elena is still in transition. She'll be seen by everyone."

"Not if we sneak her out the back…and you drive her home. Can you handle that little brother?"

Stefan nodded. "I'll go get the car."

He disappeared and Damon put his arm around Elena. Meredith started back toward the door. "I'll leave you two alone. Let me know if there's anything I can do."

Once Meredith was gone, Elena focused her attention on Damon, finally studying his face. "Damon what happened?" she asked. "How did you know?"

"I was fighting with Ric," he replied. "I mean, after your phone call, I really didn't see any point in anything else. But he became all leathery and I put two and two together. So this was the first place I came to."

"I don't remember much. It's all kind of fuzzy."

"Give it some time. It will all come back." He took the blood bag out of her hands and pulled on the tubing, making an opening. "Here, I know that I said you could drink this at home, but you should probably drink now. It will make that burning sensation in your throat go away." Damon held out the bag.

She looked between the bag and Damon, but finally took it from him. He was right. Her throat felt as though it was on fire. Elena raised the bag to her lips, the tubing just inches away. She took a deep breath and placed the tubing in her lips, using it like a straw. She took a sip, then swallowed slowly. Relief was almost instantaneous, and she took another sip, this one longer. Before long, the blood bag was drained and Damon took the empty bag from her, tossing it in a nearby trash can. "How do you feel?"

"Different."

"You'll get used to that. You'll get used to everything. I'll teach you how to turn it off, to make it so you're not feeling everything all at once."

Stefan returned at that moment. "I'm ready. Let's go before someone finds her here."

Elena nodded and went with Stefan to his car. She climbed into the passenger side of the car and waited for Stefan to get in on the other side. The ride home was quiet. Elena explored her new self, trying to figure out exactly what she could and could not do. As they arrived at the Salvatore home, Stefan helped her out of the car, and she went inside, looked around at what would most likely be her home for the next few days.

"Can I get you anything? Do you want to drink?"

She shook her head. "I did at the hospital," she replied. "My throat was burning. Damon said that it would make me feel better."

"And it did. Damn, I'm smart," Damon said as he entered the room.

Stefan nodded in understanding. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No."

"Well, I hate to leave you alone, but I need to go do damage control…check on Matt, talk with Elijah."

"Go, I'll stay with her," Damon said.

Stefan looked at Elena, who nodded. "I'll be fine. Go. Tell Matt to get better."

Once Stefan left, Elena turned to Damon. "We need to talk."

He nodded, bracing for what was coming next. "Okay."

"When were you going to tell me that you met me the night of the accident?"

**AN: Dun, Dun, DUN! I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please read and review**


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